A sea lion pup failed to employ proper navigation tactics and ended up on the shores of Raivavae Island, an obscure islet in French Polynesia.
In waters where sightings of the species are rare, it is surmised that the diminutive creature may have miraculously survived a 2,500 mile ordeal from breeding grounds in New Zealand or The Galapagos Islands, before reaching shore in the South Pacific (courtesy of BBC).
A resident first discovered the baby sea lion on August 20 and it was flown to a hospital in Tahiti, two days later.
Unfortunately, due to the overall stress of the journey and the absence of veterinarians specializing in care of marine wildlife, the animal died under care of local caregivers.
While surviving predators, current, stormy seas, and the virtually incalculable odds of reaching landfall, the 17-pound critter made a journey for the ages. However, the animal’s exploits paint a clear picture of life at its cruelest, when weighed against the fate and ongoing search of pertinent information and facts relating to the mystery of Malaysian Air flight 370.
Read the full BBC story here.